Lonely House

the house and Iare allalone

music by Kurt Weill, words by Langston Hughes

Who hasn’t had a lonely house in their lives? Some place where you felt alone even with people all around you, made even lonelier because you think no one here can love or understand you.

“Lonely House” was written for a 1947 Broadway show called Street Scene. Although it was awarded a Tony for best score and praised widely it has never been revived on Broadway.

Instead, it has been relegated to the opera stage. It’s true that its songs demand a little more of a singer than most Broadway tunes, but they are well within the capabilities of musical theater performers.

“Lonely House” has been recorded by only a few pop singers, notably June Christy (1954), Abbey Lincoln (1959), Betty Carter (1997) and Veronica Nunn (2005). Given that discography you might be surprised to learn that “Lonely House” was written for a tenor voice.

A note about the arrangement:

Barbara Speed’s clarinet is the musical alter ego of the house and Dan Feiszli’s bass is that of the house’s occupant. Their improvised duet on the repeat is a chance for them to have a conversation.

available now at:

CD Baby

iTunes

Spotify

02. Loneliness: Lonely House